North Sea Islands

start city
Hamburg, Germany
duration
7 days
tour operator
Magnolia Travels
tour type

At the mercy of the sea

Off Germany’s coast in the North Sea lie the remote, romantic Halligen islands. Here, you’ll experience a unique environment and way of life shaped by the tides. Houses here are built on meter high man-made hills called Warften to keep them above the sea-floods - known here as Land Unter. The islands are traced with tiny canals to drain the water after storms. But the locals, some 400 people, have also installed dams to let the silt settle out of the water. They must rely on this to slowly build up the height of the islands. It’s like a slow-motion race against erosion and rising oceans. Speaking of slow - you’ll have plenty of opportunity to enjoy the island pastimes like the local card game (also called Land Unter), flying kites, or just wandering the wind-buffeted pastures, lightly populated with happy sheep and contented cows.

Our trip will include walks on the extensive salt coated mudflats of this World Heritage nature reserve, where you’ll be able to observe some rare birdlife. We’ll discover many other fascinating critters, like ants that have adapted to build special nests that can withstand the periodic flooding. The broken remnants of houses and household goods to be found on the flats are a reminder of the elemental forces which shape the islands, and our tenuous relationship with them.


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